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OneWheaton is a group of Wheaton College alumni that formed in 2011 to provide support for LGBT, queer and questioning students at the evangelical Christian college. [1]
OneWheaton first organized in response to Wheaton College's chapel series titled "Sexuality and Wholeness" [2] —which included a message stating that following Jesus and living in a same-sex relationship are incompatible goals [3] —and the seminar "Same-Sex Marriage Affects Everyone"—which hypothesized that allowing same-sex marriage would lead to families abandoning their children, men having test tube babies for the purpose of molesting them, and ultimately, the end of "what was once a great civilization". [4] On April 29, 2011, members of the group distributed a letter to students on campus sharing their opinion that "sexual identity is not a tragic sign of the sinful nature of the world" and affirming "the full humanity and dignity of every human being regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity". [5]
The group and its members became the subject of documentary, "Queers In The Kingdom" by filmmaker and Wheaton College alumnus, Markie Hancock. [6] The documentary was released in 2015 and screened nationally at film festivals and college campuses.
OneWheaton claims that its purpose is to provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning students and alumni at Wheaton and other colleges. Its goal is not to change Wheaton College's policies prohibiting homosexual acts or to stand against those people who choose lifelong celibacy as their personal path of reconciling their faith and sexuality. The group does not propose any theological grounds or defense of its position as it is a diverse group consisting of people who hold many different perspectives. However, the group is unified by their shared belief that the classification of homosexuality as "sinful" is not only incorrect, but damaging. [7] OneWheaton notes on its website that the group is not "affiliated or condoned by Wheaton College". [5]
On April 29, 2011, the day that the letter was distributed, Wheaton College President Philip Ryken responded to the letter by sending an internal email to the students, faculty, and staff of the college. The email indicated that the administrations sees "each member of the human family as created in the image of God himself" but that "scripture condemns...homosexual behavior and all other sexual relations outside the bounds of marriage between a man and woman". [8] Ryken's response references the Community Covenant, which stipulates that homosexual behavior is not allowed at the school. [9]
OneWheaton has over 700 members, including alumni who are allies in support of their mission as well as alumni who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer. Supporters range from those who graduated in 1954 to the present. [5]
The founding board members of OneWheaton were: Hank Chen, [10] Jessica Friesen, [10] Adam Hibma, [10] Sue Nordlof, Catherine Latimer, Frances Motiwalla, Susan Schmalzbauer, Costa Tsiatsos, José Vilanova, [10] Ruth Wardschenk, Hillary Waters, Lora Wiens, and Kristin Winn.
According to OneWheaton spokesperson Kristin Winn, the group was "floored by the [positive] response", with their website crashing on the second day of its launch. [11] Mike Clawson, Christian contributor for the website "The Friendly Atheist" and an alumnus of Wheaton College, voiced his support for the group's efforts, noting that the group "has already succeeded in letting current LGBTQ students there know that they are not alone". [12] The blog Queerty expressed its support for the students, equating President Ryken's emailed letter to students as supporting the tormenting or bullying of human beings. [13]
Within Christianity, there are a variety of views on sexual orientation and homosexuality. The view that various Bible passages speak of homosexuality as immoral or sinful emerged through its interpretation and has since become entrenched in many Christian denominations through church doctrine and the wording of various translations of the Bible.
The relationship between religion and homosexuality has varied greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and denominations, with regard to different forms of homosexuality and bisexuality. The present-day doctrines of the world's major religions and their denominations differ in their attitudes toward these sexual orientations. Adherence to anti-gay religious beliefs and communities is correlated with the prevalence of emotional distress and suicidality in sexual minority individuals, and is a primary motivation for seeking conversion therapy.
Gay bashing is an attack, abuse, or assault committed against a person who is perceived by the aggressor to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+). It includes both violence against LGBT people and LGBT bullying. The term covers violence against and bullying of people who are LGBT, as well as non-LGBT people whom the attacker perceives to be LGBT.
Queer studies, sexual diversity studies, or LGBTQ studies is the study of topics relating to sexual orientation and gender identity usually focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender dysphoric, asexual, aromantic, queer, questioning, and intersex people and cultures.
Wheaton College is a private Evangelical Christian liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, United States. It was founded by evangelical abolitionists in 1860. Wheaton College was a stop on the Underground Railroad and graduated one of Illinois' first black college graduates.
The views of Quakers around the world towards homosexuality encompass a range from complete celebration and the practice of same-sex marriage, to the view that homosexuality is sinfully deviant and contrary to God's intentions for sexual expression. The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) is a historically Christian religious movement founded in 17th-century England; it has around 350,000 members. In Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, many Quakers are supportive of homosexual relationships, while views are divided among U.S. meetings. Many Conservative Friends and Holiness Friends, both of which have retained traditional Quaker practices such as plain dress, along with Evangelical Friends, view homosexual acts as sinful. 49% of Quakers live in Africa, and though views may differ, the Kenyan Church of Friends does not support homosexual relationships.
Harding University is a Christian liberal arts university with its main campus in Searcy, Arkansas. It is the largest private university in the state. Established in 1924, the institution offers undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional programs. The university also includes a graduate school of theology, located in Memphis, Tennessee, which was formerly known as Harding Graduate School of Religion. Harding is one of several institutions of higher learning associated with the Churches of Christ.
Delta Lambda Phi is an international social fraternity for gay, bisexual, transgender and progressive men. The fraternity was founded in 1986 in Washington, D.C. It offers a social environment and structure similar to other Greek-model college fraternities. It was the first, and as of 2013 the only, national fraternity with an emphasis on gay and bisexual men.
Exodus International was a non-profit, interdenominational ex-gay Christian umbrella organization connecting organizations that sought to "help people who wished to limit their homosexual desires". Founded in 1976, Exodus International originally asserted that conversion therapy, the reorientation of same-sex attraction, was possible. In 2006, Exodus International had over 250 local ministries in the United States and Canada and over 150 ministries in 17 other countries. Although Exodus was formally an interdenominational Christian entity, it was most closely associated with Protestant and evangelical denominations.
The origin of the LGBT student movement can be linked to other activist movements from the mid-20th century in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement and Second-wave feminist movement were working towards equal rights for other minority groups in the United States. Though the student movement began a few years before the Stonewall riots, the riots helped to spur the student movement to take more action in the US. Despite this, the overall view of these gay liberation student organizations received minimal attention from contemporary LGBT historians. This oversight stems from the idea that the organizations were founded with haste as a result of the riots. Others historians argue that this group gives too much credit to groups that disagree with some of the basic principles of activist LGBT organizations.
James Willis Toy was a long-time American activist and a pioneer for LGBT rights in Michigan.
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LGBT movements in the United States comprise an interwoven history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied social movements in the United States of America, beginning in the early 20th century. A commonly stated goal among these movements is social equality for LGBT people. Some have also focused on building LGBT communities or worked towards liberation for the broader society from biphobia, homophobia, and transphobia. LGBT movements organized today are made up of a wide range of political activism and cultural activity, including lobbying, street marches, social groups, media, art, and research. Sociologist Mary Bernstein writes: "For the lesbian and gay movement, then, cultural goals include challenging dominant constructions of masculinity and femininity, homophobia, and the primacy of the gendered heterosexual nuclear family (heteronormativity). Political goals include changing laws and policies in order to gain new rights, benefits, and protections from harm." Bernstein emphasizes that activists seek both types of goals in both the civil and political spheres.
Christian denominations have a variety of beliefs about sexual orientation, including beliefs about same-sex sexual practices and asexuality. Denominations differ in the way they treat lesbian, bisexual, and gay people; variously, such people may be barred from membership, accepted as laity, or ordained as clergy, depending on the denomination. As asexuality is relatively new to public discourse, few Christian denominations discuss it. Asexuality may be considered the lack of a sexual orientation, or one of the four variations thereof, alongside heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and pansexuality.
The relationship between religion and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people can vary greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, and regarding different forms of homosexuality, bisexuality, non-binary, and transgender identities. More generally, the relationship between religion and sexuality ranges widely among and within them, from giving sex and sexuality a rather negative connotation to believing that sex is the highest expression of the divine.
The Spectrum Center is an office at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor that is dedicated to providing education, outreach, and advocacy for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allied (LGBTQA) community. Since the organizations' creation in 1971, the Spectrum Center's mission statement has been to "enrich the campus experience and develop students as individuals and as members of the LGBTQA community." The organization achieves this through student-centered education, outreach, advocacy and support.
Straight pride is a reactionary slogan that arose in the 1980s and early 1990s and has primarily been used by social conservatives as a political stance and strategy. The term is described as a response to "gay pride", a slogan adopted by various groups in the early 1970s, or to the accommodations provided to gay pride initiative.
The modern South Korean LGBT rights movement arose in the 1990s, with several small organizations seeking to combat sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination.
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